


you are my faraway, other half universe

by borntovixx



Category: NCT (Band), WayV (Band)
Genre: #XiaoderyWeek2020, Adventure, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Doctor Who Fusion, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Cheesy, Doctor Who References, Fantasy, M/M, Romance, Science Fiction, Time Travel, lucas and ten have a cameo, mysterious identity, sicheng and kun appear in a way, space, stars are mentioned A LOT, yangyang and mark are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25204084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/borntovixx/pseuds/borntovixx
Summary: Xiaojun always dreamed about travelling through the universe, eager to visit other planets and to see aliens with his own eyes. He kept waiting for a chance to leave Earth, a place that he never felt he belonged to, to find a place he could call home. He would have never thought he would find home in a man named Hendery.
Relationships: Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 14
Kudos: 41





	you are my faraway, other half universe

**Author's Note:**

> _I can't believe_ I've managed to finish writing this before the deadline, I'm proud of myself!   
> Even though I haven't watched the last seasons, Doctor Who is one of my favourite shows ever. I love the concept behind it, and I truly think the Doctor is one of the best written heroes I've ever seen.   
> It's the first time I write: 1) a crossover au (kinda?) 2) science fiction 3) xiaojun or hendery 4)xiaodery, so i'm really excited to post this.   
> I really tried to focus on details for this fic, I hope the result is good!  
> Thank _anto_ and _andrea_ for beta reading and _joshua_ for your support, I love you all <3
> 
> This is my entry for [**XiaoderyWeek2020**](https://twitter.com/xiaoderyweek), _day 1: fantasy_! 
> 
> Title from NU'EST Minhyun's [ Universe](https://youtu.be/OQVZA4qYpEM) 🪐

When he was young, Xiaojun used to have an imaginary friend. 

Well, that’s what everyone else thought. 

Because to him, his childhood friend wasn’t imaginary at all. They were real. They _are_ _real_. 

Probably not human, though, because their appearance sometimes changed. Sometimes they were an old man with a kind smile and a great sense of humor, sometimes they were a man wearing a fez and a bowtie, and some other time they were a beautiful woman with blonde hair and a lot of stories to tell. 

His parents of course didn’t believe him, but after seeing Xiaojun's eyes lit up while telling them about all the exciting things his friend did, they let him live the fantasy of having a friend that could travel through time and space.

After all, Xiaojun's parents were artists so they were very happy to see their son overflowing with creativity. 

Except what Xiaojun told them wasn't just a plot of a book or a very long tv series, it was the truth and very much real.

Xiaojun couldn't only see his "imaginary" friend, he could _touch_ them and they could touch him. Didn't that make them real? If they weren't, Xiaojun wouldn't be able to feel the warmth of their body when he needed someone to hug after a particularly lonely and tiring day at school.

Having moved to the UK – in a small town in the Midlands, to be precise – when he was only six years old, made Xiaojun's first years of school hard and pretty miserable, being the only chinese kid in the class. He couldn't speak English that well, so his classmates often left him alone during recess. 

Xiaojun didn't really mind being alone, but sometimes he wished he had someone to talk to, someone who shared his passion for stars and space - and aliens, too.

He really wanted a friend so that he could tell them about the Doctor – that's how his alien friend was called – and their blue police box that was bigger on the inside.

Maybe he could even bring them to meet the Doctor! That would have been amazing!

Three years had passed since he had seen the Doctor for the first time, but at the age of nine he still didn't have a friend that he could trust enough to share his secret and special alien friend with. 

For now, Xiaojun was okay with meeting the Doctor's friends, which not only further confirmed the fact that the Doctor wasn't invisible to others, but also made Xiaojun’s childhood a little less lonely.

Xiaojun would sit in the backyard of his house, waiting for his friend to arrive. They didn’t visit him every night, but Xiaojun could _feel_ when they were coming, like a sixth sense or something, so he just sat under the starry sky and waited for his alien friend to tell him about another one of their adventures.

That night he felt the Doctor would visit him, so he put on his pyjamas, grabbed his favourite blanket, the one with a galaxy print, and sat in the backyard's veranda, with a cup of tea to keep himself warm and his friend's favourite snack ready on the table. A few fish sticks that were left from dinner and a glass full of homemade custard. 

Xiaojun wondered how that could taste even remotely good. Like separately, they were okay but together? It looked like a mistake. Perhaps the taste buds of aliens were different from his, or maybe the Doctor just liked extravagant food. 

The sound of the T.A.R.D.I.S – the Doctor explained to him once what it stood for, but he forgot – materializing in his garden made him stand up, too excited to see his friend again to sit still.

The door of the police box opened, and Xiaojun ran to the Doctor to hug them. He was still quite short, so he could only reach their waist, but he hugged them tight anyway. He looked up, and realised the Doctor had regenerated again.

This time they looked very young, with almond shaped eyes and golden skin. Their smile was still the same, kind and warm, and their pointy ear reminded him of an elf. 

"Doctor, you're back!" Xiaojun exclaimed excitedly, and the Doctor picked him up.

Two people came out of the spaceship, looking surprised by their surroundings. 

"Doctor, are we on Earth?" one of them asked, a confused expression on their face.

"Yes, we are. I know we had other plans, but I felt like taking a little detour. My little friend here missed me too much," they said, turning to them to make Xiaojun visible. "And I missed him too, that's why we're here."

The taller of the two gasped, his eyes sparkling as they looked at him, _"Oh my God!"_ he exclaimed, grabbing the other by the arm and getting closer to him. Xiaojun grabbed the Doctor's coat a little bit tighter, confused by what was happening. He wasn't scared, though, just… confused. What was so special about him? He was just a Chinese kid living on the other side of the world. 

"Ten! It's a human puppy. It's so _small._ " Ten slapped the other's arm and shook their head. 

"Xuxi, what are you doing? You are scaring him! And the right word is baby, not puppy!" they whispered, and then turned to Xiaojun.

"I apologize for my boyfriend's behaviour, it's the first time he sees a human so he doesn't know how to act. I hope he didn't scare you… Nice to meet you, I'm Ten from the Garden Planet, Chimeria, and this is Xuxi, from the stormy Gidu." 

Xiaojun stared at them, fascinated. He couldn't believe there were two aliens in front of him! They looked very human, but still… they were from other planets! From space! And they could speak Chinese? That was just too amazing.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Xiaojun! I'm from China, but I live here now!" he said, excitedly, staring at the two of them with curious eyes. 

"China? I’ve never heard of this planet before," Xuxi said, intrigued and the Doctor laughed.

"China is not a planet, it's a country here on Earth! I wish I could visit other planets, though, it sounds super fun!" Xiaojun really wanted to go to space. He wanted to visit the stars, see life on other planets with his own eyes… he wanted to go on an adventure with the Doctor, to leave and travel through time and space. He felt his heart racing every time he daydreamed about all the things he could do and see in the vast universe. 

But the Doctor told him he was still too young, that space was dangerous and he promised they would let him tag along when he was ready. They didn’t explain what _ready_ meant, but Xiaojun held on the promise and waited. 

He was still only nine years old, and he didn’t want his parents to worry.

“One day I’ll let you come with me,” the Doctor said, smiling, and Xiaojun smiled back. He really hoped his friend would keep his promise. 

“So this is the first time you meet aliens? Well, except the Doctor, of course,” Ten asked, running one slender hand through their long hair that looked like a waterfall of diamonds reflecting the moonlight. Only then Xiaojun noticed the black tattoos the alien had all over their body: thin rings decorated his fingers, and then an intricate pattern started from the hand and went all over their upper body, thousands of little details and words of a language he couldn’t understand. They were beautiful, and Xiaojun couldn’t help but stare as he nodded.

Ten smirked, amused. “Do you want to see our real forms, then?”

Xuxi, who was busy observing the aromatic plants that Xiaojun’s mother grew in the garden, suddenly lifted his head, excited to show his little friend what he actually looked like. If Xiaojun couldn’t travel yet, at least Xuxi could show him a little bit of space, a little bit of magic, right? 

Xiaojun nodded, smiling excitedly and asking the Doctor to let him down so he could get a little bit closer. 

Xuxi and Ten looked at the Doctor, silently asking for permission. The Doctor nodded, assuring them everything was under control and perfectly fine, and then they let their powers take over their fake human-like body, revealing their true alien form.

Xiaojun couldn’t believe his eyes. Those who looked like two ordinary people had now transformed into something completely different: Ten’s body was wrapped in ivy, the tattoo on their chest glowed, their eyes were completely dark and white wings appeared from their back. Xuxi’s skin became dark blue, and it started radiating electricity, lighting flowing under his skin and making it glow like thunder during a storm. Just like Ten, he also had wings, but they were black and larger than Ten’s. 

“Wow,” he exclaimed, fascinated by their beauty. _This_ is what was waiting for him in space? And they were just two of all the species that inhabited the universe. There was so much more to see and Xiaojun really couldn’t wait for the day the Doctor would come and take him far away from Earth. 

  
  


🪐

  
  


Xiaojun was nineteen when he first met Hendery. 

He was late for a lecture, because _of course_ he didn't hear the alarm on the first day of the new semester, and the only seat left was right at the back of the lecture hall, beside Hendery.

"Can I sit here?" he asked, still a little out of breath after running all the way from his dorm. 

"Of course you can. Why wouldn't I let a cute boy sit beside me?" Xiaojun blushed a little as Hendery gave him the brightest and kindest smile he had ever seen. 

Xiaojun sat down, trying not to make too much noise while the teacher kept talking. Hendery introduced himself and then proceeded to give him a quick resume of what he had missed so far, giggling when the teacher called him out for chatting during class. Even if it would take him months to realise, it was in that exact moment, after hearing hendery laugh for the first time, that xiaojun had started falling for him.

After that lecture, Hendery asked him to spend lunch break with him as he just got transferred and didn't know anyone except his flatmate, and Xiaojun accepted, intrigued by the insanely handsome man in front of him. 

Xiaojun couldn't believe his ears when Hendery, as they walked towards the canteen, started talking about space, stars, planets and other life forms. Finally, after years, he had found someone who liked the same things he did. 

Of course Xiaojun's best friends – Yangyang and Mark, who he had met during freshman year – listened to his theories and stories about space without making him feel like he was _crazy_ for believing in aliens, but finding someone who actually understood and _shared his ideas_? It made him feel so happy that he couldn't contain his excitement. 

They spent the whole day together, talking for hours, as if they had been friends for ages. 

Since then, they became inseparable, spending as much time together as they could, so much that everyone in the campus started thinking they were dating. 

Even though Xiaojun didn't really care about rumours, he found himself growing fond of Hendery day by day, until he realised he had definitely fallen hard for him. His heart raced every time he thought about the way Hendery looked under the moonlight. His eyes resembled the starry galaxy, bright, pretty and magnetic. His smile, the smile that made Xiaojun's knees feel weak, put the sun to shame with its splendor and warmth. 

Hendery truly belonged to an art gallery, so beautiful Xiaojun wondered how he could be real. Gorgeous, smart, funny, kind, sweet… He had everything anyone would look for in a man, but his vast knowledge on space and his love for dogs were what made him the man of his dreams. 

Sometimes Xiaojun thought about how they met, wondering what would have happened if he actually woke up on time. What if he had taken a seat in the front row, like he usually did? Would he have talked to Hendery anyway? Or would he be living a life without Hendery in it? 

Thank God he had always been a heavy sleeper, then. 

  
  


🪐

  
  


It was Xiaojun's twenty first birthday, and the two of them decided to go stargazing on the rooftop of Hendery's dorm, the full moon hanging in the clear night sky, making it easier for them to spot stars and constellations. 

Xiaojun really couldn't get enough of hearing Hendery talk about the universe. Even though they had known each other for two years, the way the other smiled, the way his eyes lit up while telling Xiaojun everything he knew about stars and planets in other galaxies got him hanging on his every word, eager to learn more and more. 

It felt as if Hendery didn't only learn the things he told him, but he experienced them directly. Xiaojun decided to ignore that feeling, though, as it was definitely impossible since Hendery was a human just like him. Unless... he wasn't. Could Hendery be an alien? That would explain why Xiaojun had never met someone like him, but that couldn't be, right? Hendery probably just had a very good imagination and great storytelling skills. 

They spent hours on that rooftop and Xiaojun didn't even notice, his mind too busy travelling far away and his heart unable to stop racing as they cuddled on the blankets Hendery had prepared for them to lay on. 

Xiaojun looked at their intertwined hands, realising once again how pretty Hendery's hands looked, especially while they were holding his. He felt safe in Hendery's warm embrace, chest to chest, their hearts beating together. He could feel his own heartbeat, and Hendery's felt just as fast as his own – that couldn't be, though. He was just a friend to Hendery, he had to be wrong about that – and louder, redoubled, as if he had two hearts beating in his chest instead of one. 

"If you could, would you leave everything behind and travel to another galaxy?" Hendery asked him after a few minutes spent contemplating the sky in a comfortable silence. 

Xiaojun thought of the Doctor, of all the tales he grew up with and of their promise to take him on an adventure and he nodded. 

"Yes, I would," he answered without hesitation. Maybe he could tell Hendery about the Doctor, about his childhood friend… Hendery would understand, right? He wouldn't call him crazy or stupid or tell him he watched too many cartoons as a child, right? 

Hendery smiled at him, kind and sincere, and Xiaojun felt the urge to kiss him. They were so close he only needed to lift himself a little to press his lips against his best friend's ones, but he really wanted to tell him how he felt before doing that. Xiaojun suddenly remembered he decided he would confess to him right after the stroke of midnight, when it would officially be his birthday, and took a deep breath. He checked the clock. _11:30pm._

He still had a lot of time before midnight, enough to tell him about his childhood friend _and_ his feelings. He was already prepared to open his heart to his best friend, to be sincere about the way he made him feel, so why hide such an important part of his life from him? To love someone means to trust them, after all, and Xiaojun couldn't hide his _totally not_ platonic love any longer.

"Speaking of that, there is something I need to tell you. Two things, actually. But please promise me you won't laugh." Xiaojun tried not to let his fear show. Opening up to people always felt scary to him, no matter how close he was to the other person. He had always been reserved, and even though he was a good listener and loved to be someone his friends could confide in, doing the same didn't come as easy to him. It wasn't that he didn't trust them or love them enough to tell them about things going on in his head, but every time he tried to do that he panicked, feeling close to crying and a lump in his throat that made it hard to breathe. Xiaojun hated to feel like that, he hated to be so scared of feeling exposed and vulnerable when he had to talk about his feelings to his friends. 

But he was trying to change that, especially because he really wanted Hendery to know that he trusted him and he _loved_ him. 

Hendery started drawing small circles with his thumb on the back of Xiaojun's hand, knowing it would help the other calm down. "I would never make fun of you." 

Xiaojun smiled at him, snuggling closer to Hendery, resting his head on his chest, close to his heart. He looked up to the sky, the stars shining brighter than ever and giving him strength. 

"When I was a child, I used to spend a lot of time staring at the stars in the sky. The universe always fascinated me, and I really believed we couldn't be alone in the vast galaxy. There had to be other kinds of living beings, but no one agreed with me. Despite that, I kept waiting for the day I could prove them wrong." A sudden blast of night breeze made Xiaojun shiver. Even though it was August, that night was cooler than the previous ones, making Xiaojun regret his outfit choice. Hendery grabbed another blanket – which he had brought just in case the weather got cooler after sunset – and covered him, not wanting him to catch a cold. 

"Then one day, when I was six years old I think, a blue police box literally materialized in the backyard of my house. A man in a brown trench coat, a blue suit and red converse high came out of it with two other people, and they were arguing about putting wrong coordinates in the navigator." Xiaojun giggled, remembering how hard the Doctor tried to look pissed, when they were probably happy to be back on Earth. The Doctor seemed to love Earth and humans just as much as Xiaojun loved space, and little Xiaojun wondered what was so special about humans to make someone that could literally go _everywhere_ want to go back to their boring planet. 

When he realised Hendery still hadn't said anything, Xiaojun turned back to him, really hoping he wouldn't read disappointment on the other's face. Hendery's eyes were wide open, his mouth agape, as if he couldn't believe what he just heard… but in a positive way. He didn't look weirded out, he looked _surprised_.

"Oh my God," he blurted out, "you met the Doctor?" 

Xiaojun couldn't believe his ears. 

"You met them too?" 

Hendery laughed, looking up at the sky and then back into Xiaojun's eyes, that in that moment sparkled like stars from galaxies he really missed. 

"Yes. Not like you did, but yes, I definitely met the Doctor too." 

"So you don't think I'm crazy."

"No, of course I don't. The Doctor is very real, always somewhere in time and space playing the hero and almost risking their life." 

Well, according to the countless stories Xiaojun heard, that was true. The Doctor really had a kind heart – or he should say _hearts_ – and always tried to save everyone, even his enemies. 

"So you would leave with the Doctor, if they gave you the chance to?" Hendery then asked, and Xiaojun blushed. 

"W-Well, it's more of a _when_ they give me a chance. We made a promise when I was nine, and they told me they would come back when I was ready. I don't know what they meant but I kept waiting for that day to arrive, but now… things changed."

Hendery looked at him, questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Xiaojun rubbed his temples, trying not to lose his cool. He was going to confess, to tell Hendery about his feelings and to say he was dying inside was an understatement. But he had to be strong and _talk_. 

"Uhm, that was the other thing I wanted to tell you. You know I didn't have a lot of friends before I met you, right? Of course I would have missed Mark and Yangyang, they are my dearest friends and I love them a lot, but it still didn't feel like a good enough reason not to go. We would have kept in touch, somehow. Meeting you, though, _that_ changed everything. We got close very fast, and I don't really believe in soulmates or fate but with you I truly feel whole, complete, like I found my other half. I don't think I could survive even a week without seeing you, being that far from you would literally be excruciating. I wouldn't be able to leave this planet without you because it wouldn't feel right. Only with you by my side I would feel at home, no matter the year or the galaxy we would end up in."

Hendery kept looking at him, almost tearing up as he didn't say a word. Xiaojun felt his eyes itch, and he knew tears were probably already streaming down his face. He felt numb, the intensity of letting out his bottled up feelings made his heartbeat resonate louder in his ears. 

"God, this is such a shitty confession. What I wanted to say is that I love you, Hendery. I'm head over heels in love with you. And I understand if you don't love me back but—" 

Before he could say anything else, he felt a pair of lips on his. Hendery was kissing him. He was kissing Hendery. _They were kissing_. 

Hendery's hands on his face felt warm as he deepened the kiss, and Xiaojun smiled into the kiss. He felt on cloud nine, happy like he hadn't felt in a long time. 

Hendery pulled away, resting his forehead against Xiaojun's, their noses almost touching. 

"How could I not love you back? You're the most amazing person I've ever met, you're everything I was looking for and the reason I stayed. You're smart, funny, sweet, kind… not to mention that you're drop dead gorgeous as well. I think I've been in love with you ever since I saw your pretty smile, but now I am sure about it. I'm in love with you too, Xiaojun."

Xiaojun beamed. He was so ready for rejection, and the fact that Hendery not only didn't reject him but also felt the same left him speechless. He was so happy he didn't know what to say, so he just said nothing and pulled Hendery in for another kiss.

  
  


🪐

  
  
  


"I still can't believe you took me to an observatory for our first anniversary. You're truly the best boyfriend I could have asked for." 

Xiaojun held Hendery's hand as they walked along the river Thames. Just like when they got together, it was a cool night, a light breeze making it more pleasant to stroll aimlessly in the lively city centre of London. 

"I felt it was the perfect gift for us. Little did I know you would buy me a _star._ " Xiaojun said, lifting up the bag that contained the certificate. He couldn't believe a star named _mòqì_ was shining in the sky above them and it was _his_. Hendery told him he chose it because it reminded him of home and represented their love for space and for each other, their mutual understanding and their deep connection that went over any kind of boundaries. Of course Xiaojun cried while hearing those words, and thinking about it again made his eyes watery. Xiaojun didn't think it was possible to love someone so strongly, but Hendery proved him wrong.

"Your gift was perfect. I was supposed to only give you a piece of paper tonight because I wasn't quick enough to book a visit at the observatory. You did that for me, as if you read my mind. I guess we really do complete each other," Hendery said, staring into Xiaojun's eyes and pulling him close for a kiss. They both weren't huge fans of public display of affection, but the street was almost empty and it was their anniversary, so they made an exception. 

Xiaojun grabbed Hendery by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down a little to deepen the kiss, his tongue sliding into Hendery's mouth. Hendery placed a hand on the small of his back, pressing him against his own body, while he tugged the hair on the back of Xiaojun's head lightly with the other hand. 

A loud screech made them break off the kiss, and they both turned to see the car speed away despite the red light. 

They wondered what happened, and then they noticed people coming towards them, running chaotically. They thought they were probably just drunk, but only when one of them hit a lamppost they realised those weren't people, but faceless white mannequins. For some reason not only they were alive, but they were also running towards them.

"Oh my God, this feels like a nightmare becoming reality." Hendery gasped, shocked and unable to move. 

Xiaojun felt a hand on his shoulder and screamed, taken by surprise. He turned around and saw a man with blue curly hair and deep dimples smiling apologetically at them. Even though they looked different since the last time he saw them, Xiaojun had no doubt that the man in front of them was the Doctor. 

"Xiaojun, Hendery, it's nice to see you again. I know this is sudden but I really need to stop those alien mannequins before they destroy the whole city. I left my sonic screwdriver inside the T.A.R.D.I.S., so I really need to go get it. Do you want to come with me?" They asked, a little out of breath.

Xiaojun looked at Hendery, his eyes sparkling with excitement. This was it. This was Xiaojun's chance for an adventure. It was finally time for him to get on the T.A.R.D.I.S. and to go somewhere in time and space, he was finally _ready_. Hendery was by his side, so he wasn't scared. Xiaojun felt this was what the Doctor was waiting for all along. 

Hendery nodded at him and held his hand tighter.

"Of course we're coming with you," Xiaojun affirmed, smiling enthusiastically. 

"Well, we really need to leave, then." The mannequins were getting closer to them, their hands grabbing air and everything they found on their way. "On count of three. One, two, three…

  
  


...Run!"

**Author's Note:**

>  **Note:** 默契 (mòqì) means mutual understanding, connected at a deep level with each other, and I chose this name because in [ WayV-ehind Turn Back Time MV Part 2](https://youtu.be/pBf6tqdXuAA) (minute 4:55), Xiaojun says that closing the door while Hendery is changing clothes is their tacit understanding, and I thought it fitted the whole soulmate/other half concept, that's why I chose this name!
> 
> I hope you liked it, comments and kudos are appreciated! 
> 
> [ twitter](https://twitter.com/borntovixx) || [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/yuehuaqizi) !!


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